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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2018)
2 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2018 Oregon House passes legislation addresing housing crisis SALEM — Thursday, the Oregon House of Representatives continued its focus on access to affordable housing with the overwhelm- ing passage of House Bill 4006 and House Bill 4010. House Bill 4006 requires Oregon communities experi- encing the highest levels of rent burden to hold public meetings and start to identify next steps to reduce rent bur- dens. The bill includes $1.73 million in funding for local jurisdictions around the state to take their next housing plan- ning step — like a housing needs analysis, zoning code update, or a housing plan spe- cific to the needs of the com- munity. Speaker Tina Kotek (D- Portland) is the Chief Sponsor of the bill. The legislation passed the House unanimously. “More than one in four renters are paying over half of their household income on rent. We must continue to take cru- cial steps towards addressing Oregon’s severe housing cri- sis,” said Speaker Tina Kotek. House Bill 4010 establishes a Task Force on Addressing Racial Disparities in Home Ownership. The goal is to com- pile data, identify barriers, investigate mortgage practices, and recommend solutions to close the gap in homeowner- ship rates between communi- ties of color and white families. The legislation was champi- oned by Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Happy Valley) and Rep. Mark Meek (D-Oregon City). “In Multnomah County, just 32 percent of African Americans own homes, as compared to a rate of 45 per- cent nationally,” said Janelle Bynum. “I’m here in Salem to help remove unnecessary and cumbersome barriers of entry for motivated, hardworking Oregonians.” “Home ownership is more than just a roof over a family’s head — it also provides fami- lies with unique opportunities to build a brighter future for them and their children,” said Rep. Meek. “That opportunity is out of reach for too many communities of color in our state, and this legislation is the first step in expanding home ownership in Oregon.” House Bill 4010 passed the House 54 to 5, and will be sent to the Senate. Commissioner Bozievich sends demand letter to opponent Thursday, attorneys repre- senting Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich sent his opponent, Nora Kent, a demand letter asking for a retraction of a false statement. Kent is accused of misrepre- senting Bozievich’s votes on commissioner pay raises in her Feb. 14 letter and initial cam- paign announcement. Attorneys for Bozievich say her statement is in direct con- tradiction to October 2016 votes, where Bozievich cast a dissenting vote three times against the Lane County Commissioner pay raises. The false statement violates ORS 260.532(1) that specifi- cally prohibits false publication relating to a candidate. The letter sent from Bozievich’s attorneys are also asking that Kent set the record straight. “I took a pay cut to serve my community full time on the commission and voted three times against a pay raise. Why lie?” Bozievich said. “This is a dishonest attack. Eight years ago when I decided to run for the commission, I wanted to rebuild the trust that the previ- ous board had violated and lost. False statements do not build trust.” If the request for corrective actions are not met within a 10- day period, Bozievich said he would pursue additional legal action to protect his interest. Bozievich was first elected to the Lane County Board of Commissioners in November 2010. He has been employed as an engineer for 29 years, most recently as a senior engineer in the water division of EWEB. West Lane District encom- passes the communities of Santa Clara, Bethel, Junction City, Fern Ridge, Lorane, Triangle Lake, Mapleton and Florence. Spring outdoor burning season now open with new rules The Lane County spring out- door burning season openned Thursday for certain areas in Lane County. The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) will issue daily outdoor burn- ing advisories with start and stop times for outdoor burning. LRAPA regulates outdoor burning, also known as open or backyard burning, allowing some Lane County residents to burn dry woody yard debris that was generated on their own residential property. Rules concerning outdoor burning differ throughout the county. Last fall, the LRAPA Board of Directors finalized changes to the outdoor burning rules. Many of the revisions aimed to update boundaries and require- ments to match existing local city and fire district ordinances, in addition to clarifying exist- ing terminology. Burning in barrels and burn- ing grass clippings are now prohibited county-wide. Furthermore, fees for outdoor burning letter permits rose from a minimum of $4 to $10 per cubic yard, with the mini- mum fee amount also rising from $50 to $100. A full list of rule changes can be found at www.lrapa.org/271 /Adopted-Rules#OUTDOOR- BURNING. Outdoor burning is always prohibited inside the city limits of Eugene and Florence, as well as on lots IMPOUNDMENT smaller than 0.5 acres inside Springfield city limits and the Urban Growth Boundaries of Eugene and Springfield. However, starting April 1st, 2018, outdoor burning inside the Eugene Urban Growth Boundary on any lot size will be prohibited. “In February, the LRAPA Board of Directors voted to prohibit outdoor burning in the Eugene Urban Growth Boundary after studying the matter for several years and receiving feedback from stake- holders. “Additionally, public com- ments were accepted through two public hearings and over two months of public comment period,” said LRAPA spokesperson, Jo Niehaus. Clean burning practices such as covering piles and keeping them dry until burning or using alternatives like wood chipping will help keep spring air quali- ty clean. Burn piles cannot smolder overnight. Residents should check local ordinances and contact local fire districts regarding restric- tions and permits before burn- ing. LRAPA’s advisory is updat- ed daily on the website at 7 p.m. for the following day. Lane County residents can call LRAPA’s Outdoor Burning Advisory Line at 541-726- 3976. Coastal residents can call 541-997-1757 for burn advi- sories. Residents who are in areas that allow burning must be aware that burning only woody yard debris generated on their property is allowed. All fires must be attended to and com- pletely extinguished by times determined by LRAPA. Horace “Hod” Johnson 08/05/1947 – 06/15/2017 A memorial service for Hod is set March 10, 2018, at 2:00pm at Community Baptist Church, 4590 Hwy 101 - Florence w/ Jim Terry offi ciating. Inurnment with family will be prior to the service at Pacifi c Sunset Memorial Park. Please practice fire safety and keep water handy at all times. A first offense violation of LRAPA’s outdoor burning rules may result in a $500 fine. Residents can dispose of yard debris by taking it to Lane County transfer sites (541-682- 4120), Lane Forests Products (541-345-9085) or Rexius (541-342-1835). For more information, visit www.lrapa.org or call 541-736- 1056. POLICE LOG Florence Police Feb. 22 Fraud was reported in the 1500 block of 10th Street. Dispute was reported in the 87000 block of Highway 101. Dispute was reported in the 500 block of Skookun Court. Feb. 23 Alarm was reported in the 1200 block of Laurel Street. Trespass was reported in the 2000 block of Highway 101. Shots fired was reported in the 90000 block of Highway 101. Feb 24 Accident, without injury, was reported in the 100 block of Highway 101. Dispute was reported in the 3000 block of Munsel Creek Road. Theft was reported in the 1700 block of 20th Street. Arrest, with warrant, was reported at the Munsel lake boat ramp. Feb. 25 Assault was reported in the 1000 block of Highway 101. Accident, without injury, was reported on North Chestnut Street. Driving while suspended was reported in the 3600 block of Highway 101. Feb. 26 Accident, with unknown injury, was reported in the 91000 block of Highway 101. Driving while suspended was reported in the 3700 Block of Highway 101. Driving while suspended was reported at Pine and 15th Streets. Arrest, with warrant,was reported in the 2300 block of Highway 101. Driving while suspended was reported in the 900 block of Highway 101. Feb. 27 Driving while suspended was reported in the 900 block of Highway 101. Harassment was reported in the Florence Area. Theft was reported in the 1000 block of Evergreen Lane. Driving while suspended was reported in the 22nd Block of Oak Street. Accident, with unknown injury, was reported in the 2900 block of Oak Street. Burglary was reported in the 100 block of Harcor Street. Shots fired was reported 87000 Ternyk Court. Dispute was reported in the 1700 block of 43rd St. Driving while suspended was reported in the 2400 block of Highway 101. C ORRECTION In the front-page article, “Port Discusses Business Oregon IGA, Public Input” in the Feb. 24 edition of the Siuslaw News, the name of community member Jeff Amundson, who offered pub- lic input regarding a new Oregon law opening state roads to off-road vehicles, was misspelled. Siuslaw News regrets the error. Voice Your Opinion! Write to: EDITOR@THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM 300 Exhibits. Experts. Ideas. Inspiration. g! n i r p S from Emerald Pool & Patio ~ from La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery ~ from Emerald Hearth, Spa & Patio ~ from The Mattress Company 4 days only! r a P n e d r a G t n It’s a Gia ty! #13792 Rose Garden Seminars Easy Care & Chemical Free ROSE PRIZES! Small male Chihuahua mix #13792 has been impounded at the Oregon Coast Humane Society. Call 541-997-4277 or stop by the shelter at 2840 Rhododendron Drive to claim. Visit OCHS at oregoncoast humanesociety.org. WEATHER DATA D ATE Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. H IGH 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 40 42 42 45 48 46 47 Rainfall Month: 4.81” L OW R AIN 28 31 28 25 38 35 29 0.54 0.10 0.23 0.13 0.24 0.73 0.06 Week: 2.03” Year: 18.21” Courtesy of Roger Cunningham Growing Edible Gardens Carefree Fruit Gardens Easy DYI Drip Irrigation by Camas Landscape Service by Johnson Brothers Garden Market by Graham Landscape & Design !' %%!$$ !'"* )!$$ &( Outdoor Living Shop! BIG Plant Sales Dig into Dirt & Remodel it! Official Show Sponsor
